The next 10 The first 10 games have given us Addicks great intrepidity for the remainder of the season. This new squad gelling far quicker than we could have hoped losing just one game, reaching 2nd in the table and playing some sparkling stuff along the way, if at times looking unsure at the back, but still I have really enjoyed the season so far, this despite having to spend Saturday mornings (my time) in a dark chasm waiting for a carrier pigeon to land on my balcony.

But what do the next 10 games hold? In the first 10 we, as it has turned out only played 4 sides in the top half of the table, although before the season began one could have expected Palarse, Sheff Wed and Leicester to be occupying loftier positions than they are. The Championship table though is always very fluid with teams often bouncing between play-off challenging spots or having their heads above a relegation battle and this season looks no different.

With a fifth of the season gone three teams in particular are already showing well. Watford, West Brom and ourselves. Others have started brightly such as Bristol City, Stoke, Barnsley and Coventry but that stat in itself speaks volumes for the quality below the Premiership, although Sheffield United's very poor start flips the argument or is that just down to poor management? Whatever, the Blades crap start, 10 points behind us, is a bonus to both us and Watford.

And what about Watford? Powerful, capable, efficient, direct. Yeh, well good luck to them eh? Pards has built a team to entertain, foundations for Premiership survival not Premiership fodder I would say.

So the next 10 games start with three in a week. In fact 10 games in 40 days, as opposed to the long drawn out first 10. Wolves, Southampton, Bristol City, Preston and Cardiff away all look tough on paper although only really Bristol City have a decent home record. Saturday's game is huge after a long break and I wonder if Pards after keeping a settled side for a number of games will make changes. Will Reid play? I wouldn't be surprised if Pards rests him to get him fit, how annoying is it that the Republic patched him up to play a meaningless game?

Racon would be a very able replacement and Sodje could start too in order to improve on our set-plays. Time perhaps for Toddy to begin over Varney. With Thatcher still out injured, Powell will continue at left back for the foreseeable future.

Moving on, we then have two very winnable home games following the trip to Molineux but then come what I think will be crucial away trips to St Mary's and Ashton Gate. We then strangely play Cardiff twice in 3 weeks, at The Valley first. Quick, stock the burger vans, Jimmy Floyd is coming! Cardiff have been very inconsistent so far and then after the international break we play in front of the cameras at Deepdale where Preston have being doing far better than on their travels.

Bryan Robson, assuming he is still their manager, then brings The Blades to The Valley followed by Burnley four days later, then Cardiff round of another three games in a week to take us to our 20th match of the season.

Our home form will be crucial during the next period, to improve on how to break teams down and eradicate the defensive lapses that have so far seen us give up 4 points at The Valley will be central to our dreams. And away. The Hull game was huge from a character perspective but those kind of matches come thick and fast and we need to keep turning in those performances. Games against Bristol City and Wolves will probably be in contrast to the Hull game though, both will think they are good enough to beat us, we need to prove them wrong and continue to validate the buzz that Pards has created among us around this exciting young team.  ¶ 01:13